In the past, I supported alcohol in moderation, but now, I support total abstinence of alcohol. One of the reasons is because of my conversion to the Seventh Day Adventist Church which requires all members to abstain from alcohol. But the most important reason is because of all the problems that it causes. The hazards seem to outweigh any benefits.
Many people have been injured or killed through drunk driving. Families have been split as a result, jobs have been lost, and many other problems alcohol causes. Many people don't even realize that you don't have to be drunk for alcohol to impair one's ability to drive. You don't even have to be drunk or have several drinks to be charged with drinking and driving violation. Also, there are laws that penalize a person or business for serving alcohol if drinker gets into an accident. It just doesn't seem worth it.
Many people say that moderation is the key. However, none of these people can agree on what moderation is. There are health benefits of moderate drinking, but it's only limited to one or two drinks a day. How many drinkers limit their drinking of alcoholic beverages to one or two drinks at a party? Not many I'm afraid. There are also studies that suggest that one can get similar health benefits from grape juice. This type of moderation may be fine for medications, but not for social drinking.
I know that not everybody will agree with this, but I would like to see a resurrection of the prohibition movement, or at least more Christians voluntarily abstain from alcohol. You don't need to drink alcohol to have a good time. Even if you yourself don't have a drinking problem, one of your invited guests may have one and serving alcohol only adds to that person's temptation.
I am not writing this to judge anyone in particular. I don't see anyone who disagrees with me as some kind of evil person. I'm also aware that there were problems with prohibition in the past, but I do think there should at least be a movement to encourage people to abstain. Personally, I would rather have prohibition back, even with the challenges of enforcing it, than to stay with the status quo of alcohol abuse going into the millions of dollars and ruined lives. With the high social costs of alcohol, I'm surprised that more Christians do not voluntarily abstain from it.
I am very thankful that I am part of a church that teaches and practises total abstinence because it enables me to hang around with friends that believe and practise the same thing and keeps off any pressure to serve or drink alcohol.
1 comment:
Hi, I've been enjoying your blog. Mostly I disagree with everything you say aside from the ironic unstated sub-text but I actually agree with much of what you said in this post.
Alcohol surly has it's evils that must be fought but prohibition is not the answer, we've already seen that fail. Everyone has to find their comfort zone, some branches of Christianity are notoriously alcoholic but it doesn't mean they are bad people.
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